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DAYTON, Ohio - The IUPUI women's soccer team was on the short end of a key Horizon League match on Saturday night (Oct. 13) as the Jaguars dropped a 1-0 overtime heartbreaker at Wright State on a frigid evening. WSU's Mattie Cutts headed a shot past IUPUI junior goalkeeper Sophia Lipka from point blank range to send the Raiders home happy and send the Jaguars to a second straight defeat in league play. 

The win moved Wright State (5-6-2, 4-1-1 HL) into a three-way tie for second place in the league standings while IUPUI (5-8-3, 2-3-1 HL) clings to the No. 5 spot with three games remaining. 

Cutts was positioned near the six-yard box when teammate Erin Graefen angled a pass her direction. Cutts ended any doubt from there, easily finding space towards the left side of the net for the winner. It ended a night filled with previous missed opportunities by the Raiders and some superior goalkeeping work at both ends of the field. 

Lipka made a brilliant save of Livi Raflik's drive from distance through traffic in the game's 30th minute as part of her six saves. Wright State's Maddie Jewell had her best stop of the evening in the game's second minute when Valentine Pursey was played in by Miranda Ricks and had a shot aimed perfectly inside the far post. However, Jewell dove to her right and punched the shot wide of the post with her right hand to deny Pursey her fourth score of the season. Later, Ricks had an attempt from long distance fly just wide of target as Jewell was slow to react to the drive. 

IUPUI had more than its share of possession in the second half, but it was Wright State that built the better scoring chances. 

The Jaguars were fortunate in the 81st minute as a jumbled defensive mess of a play nearly resulted in a Wright State go-ahead goal in regulation. Senior Becca Spitalniak got tangled with a Wright State attacker, leaving WSU's Destiny Johnson loose on a breakaway opportunity. Lipka was already off her line and made a sliding attempt to sweep the ball away well beyond the 18-yard box, but was unable to stop Johnson's progress. Given free space and only a defender to beat with a shot, Johnson's attempt towards the empty net rolled just wide of the far post, keeping the game scoreless. 

Moments later, WSU's Jordyne Helinski was on the receiving end of a ground ball cross from the right side, but hit her sliding attempt right at Lipka, missing another golden opportunity. In the 88th minute, Lipka made a key stop of a hard hit Aaliyah Patten attempt after Bri Denny had forced the attacker to her right foot.  

IUPUI's best scoring chances of the second half were an Elizabeth Bueckers shot from the left side that was knocked down by a WSU defender before it got to goal and a Jessica Flores attempt from the left side that flew well high of target. 

Jewell needed just three saves to earn the shutout while Helinski paced the Raiders with five shot attempts. Pursey had a team-high three shot attempts while Ricks and Bueckers had two apiece. 

It marked the sixth time this season IUPUI has been shutout and the third time in Horizon League play. 

IUPUI will be back in action on Wednesday (Oct. 17) when the Jaguars host Horizon League leader Milwaukee at 4:00 p.m. at Carroll Stadium. That match will be aired on ESPN3 as Andrew Kappes (pxp) is on the call.